While Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut cast aspersions on Bollywood actor Sonu Sood’s efforts to help stranded migrant workers, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Sunday lauded Mr. Sood.
“He has done good work by sending a lot of migrant workers to their homes. I did not hear what Sanjay Raut sahab said. We will appreciate whoever takes such good initiatives, be it Mr. Sood or anyone else,” said Mr. Deshmukh, who was in the city to review the COVID-19 situation.
The Sena, NCP and Congress are allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by CM Uddhav Thackeray.
Earlier, Mr. Raut, through the Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna had taken pot shots at Mr. Sood’s ‘philanthropy’, suggesting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might be behind the actor’s recent efforts to help stranded migrant workers in order bid to show the MVA in a poor light.
Mr. Deshmukh also lauded the efforts of Special Police Officers and the Pune Police in helping check the spread of the virus in Pune’s ‘red zones’.
9,671 prisoners released
Speaking to reporters later in the evening, he said there were 38,000 prisoners in 60 jails in Maharashtra, of whom 9,671 had been released till now to ensure social distancing. “We are going to release 11,000 more prisoners on emergency parole. We have set up 31 temporary prisons in 24 districts,” he said.
Stating that 3,000 police personnel had tested positive for COVID-19 while around 30 others had succumbed to the virus, Mr. Deshmukh said he had directed that normal duties be given to personnel between 50-55 years of age and paid leaves to personnel over 55.